Sun Elf

Contents

The majority of Faerun's sun elves live on Evermeet, having abandoned what remained of their ancient realms during the centuries following the falls of Illefarn and Cormanthyr. They are only now returning to the mainland to reestablish their presence there. The sun elves are famed for their command of both arcane and divine magic, which exceeds that of any other living race. Works of elven high magic thousands of years old still survive in the hidden refuges of the sun elves.

Sun elves are responsible for the majority of the great elven cities of legend, although other elven subraces aided the construction of many of these cities. Myth Drannor is perhaps their most famous creation, although probably not their most magnificent. Sun elf realms are the stuff legends are made of, an integral part of the history of Faerun for thousands of years. The sun elves certainly know this, for they distance themselves from nonelf races and often won't let such “lesser beings” into their lands, making relations with other races very far strained. Sun elves have bronze skin, hair of golden blond, copper, or black, and eyes of green or gold. They favor contemplation, lore, and study over the quick games and light-hearted songs of other elves, but seem to embody the unearthly beauty, grace, and presence of the elven folk.

Sun elves dress in clothing that is at the same time magnificent and understated, favoring cool colors such as blue and green. They decorate their clothes with intricate gold or mithral thread embroidery in exacting patterns whose subtle designs are easy to miss at first. Jewelry is simple, but painstakingly crafted.

Of all the elven subraces, sun elves are the most arrogant and haughty- even more so than the avariels, whose haughtiness is rooted in pity for the landbound races. Sun elves believe they are the true elven race, the builders and the leaders of the elven realms, and that the other elven subraces fail to live up to the solemnity and dignity of their ancient stock.

The sun elves believe that they were selected by Corellon Larethian to be the defenders of elven tradition and history. They are also the most patient of the elven races, and they devote their time to perfecting a task rather than just merely completing the task. To a sun elf, rushing a job or finishing a project in anything less than perfection is betraying the elven ideal. As a result, they tend to have a much narrower range of skills than other elves, but they are the unrivaled master of the skill, art, or craft to which they turn their efforts. The only exception to this rule is combat. Sun elves have no love for combat, but they are nevertheless well trained in its ways. They view combat as a necessary evil, and one that should be resolved quickly so the task can be done and one can return to more pleasurable and constructive pursuits.

Sun elves are the least likely of the elven subraces to take up the adventurer's path. They see little point in roaming around the world and meeting other peoples, especially when any sun elf can enjoy as much comfort, study, and contemplation as she likes by remaining in on e of the hidden sun elf realms. Most sun elf adventurers are more properly thought of as spies, dutiful scouts who make it their lifelong task to observe the other people of Faerun and keep a vigilant watch for the rise of any threats to the elven homelands. A few sun elves are also drawn to the mystery of ancient power and seek to add to the lore of their people by exploring ruins of ancient empires all across Faerun.

Sun elves favor the traditional paths of the elven folk: fighter and wizard. No sun elf could truly be described as a barbarian, although a dun elf raised among wilder kin might, on very rare occasions, choose to take levels in the barbarian class. They make good bards, and even if they are not noted for the light-hearted revels, the ancient songs and lore of a learned bard are worthy of a sun elf's respect. Sun elves are also the foremost clerics and paladins among the elven races. The arts of stealth and archery are not widely practiced among sun elves, so rangers and rogues are relatively scare among them.

Sun elves are deliberate, patient, and solemn, and their society reflects this. Their buildings, while aesthetically beautiful and architecturally brilliant, tend to be ostentatious. Nevertheless, the sun elves take great pride in their buildings, believing that nothing less than perfection will do for the chosen defenders of elven tradition and history. Their art, poetry, and songs also reflect their deliberate and regal attitudes. They prefer tales of ancient battles, songs of the gods, and stories of great heroes with terrible tragedies.

Sn elves revere wisdom and learning. Even the humblest sun elf abode features a roon or two filled with old scrolls, maps, and books. Sun elves have a strong tradition of rule by nobility, and most sun els communities are ruled by a monarch who can trace his of her line back to the First Crown War. Where a human noble measures his power by the expanse of the lands under his rule and the numbers of solders at his command, a sun elf noble is known by the honor of her family name, the magical power and lore her family has accumulated, and the wealth and beauty of her palatial home.

Religion infuses every aspect of sun elf society. Sun elves believe themselves to be the chosen representative of the Seldarine in the mortal realm, and are quick to offer prayers of thanks to their deities. These prayers and ceremonies are invariably long, drawn-out affairs during which loud voices, merry songs, or joyful worship and deemed disrespectful. Religion is a serious, solemn subject to the sun elves. They worship all the Seldarine equally, and most choose Corellon Larethian as their patron.

The sun elf devotion to magic, skill at arms, and the superiority of elven civilization means that they have a great and abiding veneration for the leader of the elven pantheon. Like their nobles, Corellon is a wise, generous, and firm leader who brings forth beauty in the world, then defends his work resolutely. Clerics of the church of Corellon advise the rules of sun elf communities, and Corellon's clerics from the heart of sun elf army when the sun elves must take the field to defend their lands.

Sun elves also venerate Labelas Enorath, the elven deity of longevity, time, and wisdom. While Corellon is seen as the divine leader and protector of the sun elves, Labelas is revered as a counselor and advisor, a source of wisdom in times of trouble. Clerics of Labels are charged with the keeping of knowledge and records among the sun elves.

The sun elves feel affection for the moon elves, although this affection is often unintentionally patronizing. They fear that their moon elf cousins are too flighty and irreverent, and they strive to help them return to the proper elven path with stern lectures and fatherly advice. They admire the wood elves and feel that they embody the elven spirit of nature. Relations are good between sun elf and wood elf, although the reclusive nature of the wood elves makes direct contact rare. Sun elves are a pit puzzled by the wild elves, and hope one day to civilize them. Aquatic elves are thought as near-equals, and the sun elves believe that their water-breathing kin were places in the world to bring to the seas what the sun elves bring to the lands above. The sun elves deeply regret the sufferings of the avariels, and occasionally send out explorers to seek out avarieal aeries and offer them a place on Evermmet.

Sun elf prejudice toward the N-Tel-Quess (humans, dwarfs, or halflings in particular) can be quite sever. Many sun elves won't even deign to speak to a human, dwarf, giant, halfling, or any other race and would rather leave a dying man to meet his fate than to save him, which thus are the many reasons as to why many races would never want a sun elf to join their quest. This attitude is somewhat understandable, given the way humans have historically treated the sun elves and their lands, but it winds down that some of the sun elves have few friends among their N-Tel-Quess neighbors. This type of prejudice is unacceptable to the Moon elves and the Wood elves, finding such behavior as both disgraceful, silly, and a failure in both the Or-Tel-Quessir and the Teu-Tel-Quessir's perspective.

If there is one race that the sun elves hold in absolute contempt, it is the drow. They view the dark elves as abominations and insults to the Seldarine, and often attack these hated enemies on sight. As word of the drow invasions of Cormanthor begins to spread through Evermeet, it is likely that more and more sun elves will return to the mainland, if only to bring way to the drow and force them from the ruins of what sun elves still consider their lands.

They favour fighter and wizard, and are foremost clerics and paladins among the elven race. They make good bards. Rangers and rogues are relatively scarce among them. No sun elf could truly be described as a barbarian.